Francis L. Ragland

Francis L. Ragland, age 76 of Stockton was promoted to Glory on Wednesday, January 23, 2013.

He was born in Gillette, Wyoming December 4, 1936 as one of five children. His father passed away while

Francis and his siblings were still young. The children were cared for outside the home until his mother remarried and the family was reunited in Boise, Idaho. This is where Francis first met the Salvation Army. After High School, Francis joined the U.S. Air Force serving overseas during the Korean Conflict. After the war he returned to Boise and began working for the U.S. Post Office and of course reconnected with the Salvation Army. It was here that he met his life partner Eleanor Ratcliff, who also was involved with the Salvation Army. They were married in August 1961. In 1967 Francis & Eleanor entered The Salvation Army's Training School in San Francisco and became officers in 1969. From there they were appointed to lead the work of the Hanford Corps and over the years were appointed to other corps in Flagstaff, Las Vegas, and Butte. In 1984 they were moved to Alaska where they opened the South Anchorage Corps Ministry and later the Kenai Peninsula and Laramie, WY Corps. Their final appointment was an administrator of the Salvation Army Silvercrest Senior Residence in Stockton. Francis retired in 2000. Remaining in Stockton, Francis continued his ministry of service through The Stockton Kiwanis Club where he served in a variety of leadership positions as well as serving as Lt. Governor for the District two different times. In addition to his Kiwanis activities he enjoyed traveling and spending time with family.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 28, 2013 at 1:00 pm in the Evergreen Chapel at Cherokee Memorial Park Hwy 99 & Harney Ln. Lodi. Burial will be private at Bellevue Memorial Park in Ontario, CA. Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 27, 2013 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm at Cherokee Memorial Funeral Home, 831 E. Industrial Way Lodi. Cherokee Memorial Funeral Home is honored to serve the Ragland family.